Manufacture of wire fabric



May 28, 1940.

A E. BLASHILL MANUFACTURE OF WIRE FABRIC Filed Feb. 6. 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 mx NE May 28, 1940. A. E. BLASHILL MANUFACTURE OF WIRE mama Filed Feb. 6, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jive/7% May 28, 1940. A. E. BLASHILL I MANUFACTURE OF WIRE FABRIC Filed Feb. 6, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 M y 1940- A. E. BLASHILL MANUFACTURE OF WIRE FABRIC Filed Feb. 6, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 28, 940. 1' 1A, 5.. BYLASHILL 2,

MANUFACTURE OF WIRE FABRIC Filed Feb. 6, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 28, 1940 minimums or wmn FABRIC Arthur Emelt Blashill, magmas,

Birmingham, England Application February 6, 1939, SeriaI No. 254,944 In Great Britain February 7, 1938 13 Claims. (01. 149-8) This invention relates to the manufacture of;

wire fabric of'the kind which may be described as square-mesh and which is formed by winding wire, fed from two sources, upon a fiat rotary former liar so that a double flattened wire helix is produced along the former and is threaded into engagement with the last helix of the already formed fabric.

A length of the double helix whenfed transversely across the already formed fabric is severed from the main supply on the former bar so that each severed length of wire helix may be retained upon the fabric which is advanced in a step-by-step manner for the reception of successive helices. This severing operation gives a barbed-wire effect to the side edges of the fabric which it is necessary to destroy and the invention has for one of its essential objects to provide improved means for turning-over the sharp wire ends and for advancing the movement of the fabric as it is formed.

Further objects and features of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a broken plan view of a machine in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the driving mechanism.

Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation of Figure on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged end view of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow with the bottom part of the machine casing broken away,

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of thelongitudinally adjustable knuckling head seen on the right in Figure l.

Figure 6 is an enlarged end view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1 showing one of the star-wheels and its knuckler.

Figure 7 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of the knuckler bar seen on the left in Figure l,

Figure 8 is an enlarged end view of the trip mechanism employed on the machine in connection with the spindle upon which the finished wire fabric is wound, and

Figure 9 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing, in end elevation, the passage of the wire fabric through the machine.

In carrying the invention into effect in one convenient manner as illustrated in the drawings the improved machine comprises a a suitable framework or casing i containing the various gears and drivingshafts and supported between one end of said casing and a pedestal 2 laterally rotatable shaft 9 extending spaced therefrom there is provided .a transverse sheet or hood 9 (Figures 1, 4 and 9) which serves to guide the fabric, as it is formed, from the helix threading zone to a seriesa'of toothed discs or star wheels 4 provided upon an intermittently tal and the said casingand formed to permit of adjustment of the individual star wheels along the length thereof to suit different widths of fabric. From the said guideplate 3 the fabric passesv downwardly to a transverse roller or shaft 0, (Figures 8 and 9), which is mounted at its opposite ends for vertical reciprocatory motion along a toothed rack l, andafte'r being passed under this roller the fabric passes upwardly and over the star wheels 4-,; then downwardly again and under a secondroller-or shaft 8 and is finally wound upon an intermittently rotatable shaft 9- a I The driving mechanism includes a main central clutch shaft i9 (Figures 2; and 3),-.a high speed weaving spindle II on one side thereof and a single revolution shaft l2. on the opposite side, all three shafts being conveniently located within the upper part of the said casing at the left hand end thereof as seen in Figure 1.- An advantage of employing these separate shafts is that, since the main clutch 2! is provided upon a separate shaft it is possible to limit the high speed weaving spindle H to a-'relatively small diameter so that upon suddenly arresting this shaft, to enable a threaded length of wire helix I! (Figure l) to be severed from'its main supply, there is no inertia effect tending to cause the spindle to over-runjthe position inwhichit is required to be arrested and which would happen if the main clutch was provided upon the high speed weaving shaft, which-latter carries the fiat former bar I about which the wire is wrapped in the form of a flattened helix, two such helices being formed in a single operation and being fed along the former barifor threading into the last helix of the formed fabric,

The wire l5 froml which the helices are formed is supplied from twov sources and" is guided by rollers 22 into a double helical slot iliin a sleeve ll fixed within a bush l8. Theformer bar rotates within the sleeve ll so that. besides being wrapped about and along the bar as a double helix the wire is transversed along the ,bar and is delivered therefrom into a tube III. (Figures 1, 4 and 9) in which the double wire helix,delivered from the former bar, is threadedupon the last helix of the portion of thegformed fabric already within the tube, the latter having a between said pedes- 52. When the trigger longitudinal slot 2| which permits an upward movement of the wire helices as the fabric is formed. A Second fixed helically slotted sleeve 23 and bush 24 is provided for equalising the leads of the double wire helix as the same is moved along the former bar.

The main clutch shaft I0 is driven from a main'driving shaft 36 through a pinion (not shown) meshing with a gear wheel 31 on the clutch shaft, which latter has a pinion 38 meshing with an intermediate pinion 39 in engagement with a gear wheel 46 loose upon the single revolution shaft l2 so that, when-ever the main 'driving shaft 36 is rotating, so also will the pinions 38 and 39 and the gear wheel 48 be rotated but the gear wheel 48 will only have a driving connection with the single revolution shaft l2 when a clutch 35 on the single revolution shaft i2 is engaged, while the weaving spindle II, also, will only be driven when the main clutch 25 is engaged.

Associated with the driving mechanism is an endless chain 26 (Figures 2 and 3) supported upon a sprocket wheel 21 and roller 28 and composed of links of which there are twice as many as the number of full meshes in the width of the fabric to be produced and this chain is driven by equal bevel wheels 23 and by a worm 38 and worm wheel 3| equal in teeth to the chain control sprocket, so that as the worm has two threads each revolution thereof is equal to two chain links whereby it is possible by variations of one link to arrest the weaving spindle at any half-turn. The said chain 26 carries a dog or lug 32 adapted when the dog arrives opposite a trigger 33 (and which will happen when a full length of wire helix has been woven into position) to actuate the trigger to cause the main driving shaft clutch 25 to be disengaged so that the weaving spindle II is stopped and the clutch 35 on the single-revolution shaft is simultaneously engaged to cause that shaft to rotate, during which rotation the threaded length of helix will be severed from its supply, the fabric 4! will be advanced the distance of one mesh and the severed ends 42 (Figure 6) of the previously threaded helix will be turned-over, this turningover operation being followed by movement .of the star wheels 4 through the distance of one tooth, which is equal to the mesh of the fabric.

The one-revolution shaft l2 may be arranged to operate multiple eccentrics which serve to control the actuation of the wire severing mechanism and also the mechanism employed for tuming over the severed ends of the helices, all of which will be described later.

Specifically, the said trigger 33 (Figure 3) may be adapted, when actuated by the chain dog 32, to exert a pull upon a rod or bar 43 loaded by a spring 44 and to which bar there is connected a lever arm 45 having a pin 46 engaging a slot 41 in a pawl 48 pivoted at 49 to the machine casing, the lever 45 being also pivoted at 58 to a further pawl 5| which in turn is pivoted to the casing at 33 is actuated the pawl 48 conrolling the clutch on the main shaft is moved by the said rod and lever 43 and 45 to engage a tooth 53 of this clutch and so arrest rotation of the main shaft while, at the same time, the other pawl 5| moves out of engagement with a tooth 54 on the other clutch 35 so that the one revolution shaft l2 may then rotate. This shaft I2 is provided with a radial pin or finger 55 which, during rotation of the shaft, strikes a roller 56 situated at one end of a further lever arm 61 pivoted at, on a bracket 83, the other end of which lever 51 is connected with a bellcrank on by a link 0| whlch bell-crank is connected with the trigger rod 43 so that actuation of this bell-crank causes the trigger to be released from engagement with said dog 82, whereupon the said rod returns to permit the main shaft clutch 25 to re-engage and to disengage the one-revolution shaft clutch 35 so that the high speed weaving shaft may again rotate.

Rotation of the weaving shaft moves the dog on the endless chain'out of the way of the trigger which, except for the moment when it is tripped by the dog, normally is always maintained in the path of the dog.

Since the clutch on the main shaft rotates at a much greater speed than the clutch on the onerevolution shaft the stop lever for the main shaft clutch may be provided with a simple spring cushion.

The single revolution shaft l2 carries a bevel wheel 62 meshing with a bevel wheel 63 upon a stub-shaft 64 carrying two opposite eccentrics 85 and 66 connected respectively with two rods 61 and 68 (Figures 1, 5 and 7) of which the rod 61 extends to the far end of the machine, and through the medium of a slide 8|, (Figure 5), carries at its outer end a knuckler 69, actuated from the eccentric 65 by a pull-action, and the rod 68 terminates on the near side of the machine and carries a knuckler l0, actuated from the eccentric 66 by a-push-action.

The inner end of the rod 68 terminates within a sleeve" (Figure '7) and is engaged by one end of a spring 12, the other end of which abuts against the stub end 13 of the correspondingeccentric slide 11 and this end of the rod 68 has a pin 14 engaging within an elongated slot 15 in the sleeve which at its inner end is connected to the said stub end by a pin 16. The sleeve is always free to rotate with respect to the slide 11 but normally is capable only of a partial rotary movement due to the engagement of a cam roller 18 within an open ended cam slot 19 in a sleeve fixed upon the machine casing. The cam roller is removably fixed upon the rod 68 and the cam slot is formed with an axial portion which provides for plain axial movement of the rod and an offset portion which permits of the rod making a partial turn during the final part of its movement, when its knuckler III is in engagement with a barbed end 42 of the fabric. The other knuckler 68 is carried upon a short rod 82 (Figure 5) and is also capable of being given an axial and partial rotary motion by the engagement of a cam roller 88 within the cam slot 84. This knuckler 69, however, is capable of adjustment longitudinally of the machine to suit the particular width of fabric being produced. The adjustment is effected by removing a pin 85 for locking the slide 8| in an adjusted position upon the rod 81 (the latter having a series of holes 86 giving several adjustable positions of the slide) and traversing the bracket 81 along a rack 88 by the rotation of a pinion 30.

Each knuckler is of forked form and the barbed ends of the wire engage within the fork prongs as shown in Figure '1 so that the barbs are not only bent back upon the outermost wires of the adjacent full meshes of the fabric but, due to the partial rotary motion, are actually closed upon these wires.

The star wheels are essentially two in number and are situated upon their carrying shaft 6 so as to engage with the outside full meshes 8| (Figure 6) of the fabric and each tooth of these starwheels is providedon its outer face with a" lateral protuberance 92 (Figures 6 and '1) which forms an abutment for the junction of the out-. side full wire'meshes with the barbs 42 formed as the result of the severing of successive helices and also provides an eflective abutment during the operation of the'knucklers. The said protuberances may be constituted by angle or 1' plates secured tothe outer faces of the teeth of the said star wheels, Intermediate the end star wheels there are provided one or more plain star wheels adapted to engage the intermediate meshes of the fabric. I

Extending along the fabric receiving side of the said star wheels there is provided a rocker shaft 93 (Figures 4 and 6) carrying cam fingers 94 adapted to engage the fabric and push the same into engagement with the teeth of the star wheels,. the cam fingers being urged into this position by the action of aspring 95 upon-a rod- 98 connected with the rocker shaft by a link 91 The shaft icarrying the star wheels is arranged to be rotated intermittently when the one revolution shalt I2 is in motion and the shaft 5--(Figures i and 4) is driven froma'. shaft-98,v geared to the shaft I2, thro ugh a modified Geneva drive 99, I00, IN, and I02 and chain I04 passed around sprocket wheels I05 and I06 on the Geneva wheeland the shaft 5 respectively and a jockey pulley I01, the arrangement being such that the star wheels are stepped ahead one tooth after each knuckling operation and are then held stationary. Associatedawith the delivery side of the end star wheels there are conveniently provided means adapted positively to release the fabric from engagement with'the. star wheels. Such means may consist (Figure 6) of a pairof pointed vertical plates I08 provided one for each star wheel, secured in positionso that their pointed upper ends lie within an, annular channei l09 (Figure 7) formed between the star wheel teeth and the said angle plates 92 secured thereto,the'

outer diameter of the channel coinciding with the roots of the teeth. Each plate I08 is disposed to lie within the plane, of its respective-channel.

and has its outer edge IIO curved outwardly from the pointed end, which lies within the channel,so that as the fabric arrives at the upper ends of these plates it will be stripped from the star wheel teeth by engagement with the 'plates.

During the time that the one revolution shaft I2 is rotating the lengthof wire helix threaded into position upon the fabric and situated within the tube 20 is severed from themainsupply 'by a cutter III (Figure 1) comprising blades moved in a transversal direction by an eccentric motio produced as the shaft I2 rotates. V

The continuously rotatingpinion on the one revolution shaft I2 meshes with a pinion III on a shaft I I6 carrying a-pinion' I- with which a chain II2 engages to continuousiyrotate a pinion H3 at the other end of the chainand secured upon a friction roller II4 which is carried upon a block H5 slidable upon a fixed g uide. I I8*(Figure 8) under the control of'a togglefand. link mechanism. This mechanism comprises the toggle III! the central pivot pin I20 of which engages an elongated slot I5I in a-link' IZI pivoted at I22 upon a lever I23 carrying a counterweight I24. Fast upon the pivot I25 of. the counter-' weight lever there is a second-lever I26 towhich there is pivoted a catch lever I21 adapted, by the engagement of a pawl I28 with a notch l29jin the its opposite ends a pinion I3I which engages a vertical rack l32 and the arrangement is such that when, in theformation of the fabric the shaft 8 arrives at the bottom of the rack I32, the shaft, by'engagement with a stepMI34 on a lever I33 connected to a link I35 between the lever I33 and the arm I36 of the pawl I28 (the pawl being constituted by one arm of a bell-crank pivoted at I31) causes the pawl to be released from engagementwith the catch lever I21 against the action of a tension spring. I38. so that the counterweight operates to pull down the link I2I which, by engagement with the'toggle pin I20, flattens the toggle and so moves the friction wheel into driving engagement with the wheel I30. The shaft 8 serves always-toimpose a load upon the loop of fabric which it-engages, suiilcient to provide for a tight winding of thefabric upon the shaft 9 and as the loop offabricis formed the I28. As the shaft 8 reaches the uppermost position on its rack the catch-lever I21 will be returned to itsraised positionin which itwill be retained by a re-en'gagernent of the pawl I28- when the uppermost position of the shaft is reached. The-friction rollerwill then be out of engagement with the wheel I30 and rotation of the winding shaft is interrupted.

While the machine is adapted'to turn over the wire. barbs it is possible toeliminate this operation of the knuckler I0 by; removing a shear pinv I39 connecting the rod 68 with the sleeve 'II, removing the cam roller I8 from engagement with the cam slot I9 and connecting a chain '0 between a sprocket I on a-spline I42 on the rod 68 and a sprocket I43 on the one revolution 1 shaft l2. The rod 68 is then free to make a number of complete revolutions to twist the junction. of each barb whem as a result of the forward axial movement of the rod 58 by its eccentric85 the knuckler 10, engages the barb but the knuckler is inoperative to bend the barbs inwards due to the-resiliency offered by the spring I2,

, with respect to which therod08 is now free to move axially within the sleeve. This twisting operation serves tolock the edge of the fabric but with the barbs still exposed.

Having thus 3 described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patment for the bending operation and the said wire engaging means comprising toothed or star wheels with which the wire meshes engage like a chain and sprocket, where the fabric constitutes the .chain.

:the windingshaft 9 after the release of the pawl catch lever, to hold the counterweight in a raised" --2. Machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each tooth of each star wheel is provided with a lateral protuberance forming an abutment for the junction of the full wire meshes of the fabric with the barbs.

3. Machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for bending back the wire barbs comprises a prong member reciprocable upon the Junction of a barb with its full mesh to bend the barbs back and rotatable to fold the barbs against the wires of the said full mesh.

4. Machine for manufacturing wire fabric of quadrangular or square mesh comprising in combination a coiling worm in which lengths of wire fed from two sources are wound into zigzag form, a flat rotary former bar upon which the wire is wound, the zigzag wire being threaded through the last rows of mesh of the finished fabric, a pair of star wheels engageable with the outside full meshes of the formed fabric, means for effecting intermittent rotation of the star wheels and prong members reciprocable upon the junction of each barb with its full mesh to bend the barbs back and rotatable to fold the bars against the wires of the said full mesh.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein the star wheels are arranged so that the fabric passes over the star wheels and the star wheel teeth are formed to engage one within each full mesh of the upper portion of the wire fabric.

6. Machine as claimed in claim 4, comprising means adapted to engage the fabric and urge the same into contact with the teeth of the star wheels.

7. Machine as claimed in claim 4, comprising means on the delivery side of the fabric adapted to strip the latter from engagement with the teeth of the star wheels.

8. Machine as claimed in claim 4, comprising means adapted to maintain loops in the fabric on either side of the star wheels and to impose a yieldable load upon the loops.

9. Machine as claimed in claim 4 comprising a shaft upon which the finished fabric is wound, means adapted to maintain a loop in the fabric between the star wheels and the said shaft and a latch mechanism operable to permit intermittent rotation of the winding shaft, the actuation of said latch mechanism being under the control of the means which engage the fabric to maintain the said loop. a

10. A machine for manufacturing wire fabric of quadrangular or square mesh comprising in combination a coiling worm in which the wire is wound into zigzag form, a rotary former bar upon which the wireis wound, a first shaft carrying the said former bar, a main driving shaft separate from said first shaft, a second and separate shaft drivenfrom the main shaft, clutch means on said main shaft adapted to permit of alternate operation of the former bar and the said second shaft, and trip mechanism actuated from the former bar and adapted to control the setting of said clutch means.

11. A machine for manufacturing wire fabric of quadrangular or square mesh comprising in combination a coiling worm in which the wire is wound into zigzag form, a rotary former bar upon which the wire is wound, a first shaft carrying the said former bar, a main driving shaft separate from said first shaft, a third and single revolution shaft, gear means connecting the main driving shaft with the said first and third shafts, clutch means on said main shaft adapted to permit of alternate operation of the former bar and the third shaft, trip mechanism actuated from the former bar and adapted to control the setting of said clutch means, and a separate clutch means incorporated in said third shaftand adapted to govern the rotation thereof.

12. A machine as claimed in claim 11 comprising an endless chain driven from the main driving shaft and having a dog or lug thereon, a trigger adapted, when the dog or lug arrives opposite the same, to cause the main driving clutch to be disengaged and the clutch on the one revolution shaft to be simultaneously engaged.

13. Machine as claimed in claim 11 comprising an endless chain driven from. the main driving shaft and composed of links of which there are twice as many as the number of full meshes in the width of fabric to be produced, sprocket wheels engaging the chain and including a driving sprocket, a worm wheel in driving connection with the main driving shaft and the said driving sprocket, the said chain having a dog or lug thereon and a trigger adapted to be engaged by the said dog or lug to cause the main driving shaft clutch to be disengaged and the clutch on the one revolution shaft to be simultaneously engaged.

- ARTHUR ERNEST BLASHILL. 

